In the hard-hat world of U.S. transportation, “teatime” means big changes. In 1991, ISTEA (pronounced “ice tea”), the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, became the first piece of federal legislation since the Interstate Highway System in 1956 to present an overall intermodal approach to highway and transit funding. Then came the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and, in 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

The next “tea party,” however, must go beyond previous models and embrace principles of sustainability for all types of transportation projects. This movement is already underway and it is ready to be chartered federally. I recommend the acronym, GREEN-TEA.

Despite current funding roadblocks, now is a propitious time for GREEN-TEA to gain traction. For this to happen, however, two conditions must be met. First, our legislators must develop backbones and find the political will to create more sustainable transportation, housing, and energy policies. Second, our industry must exhibit a sense of urgency in adopting a more sustainable approach.

On Capitol Hill, transportation has been put on the back-burner, though it has a good chance of getting considerably more funds in 2010. Because investments in transportation create jobs, the House has passed the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010, which would provide $27.5 billion for highways, $8.4 billion for transit, $800 million for Amtrak, and $500 million for airports. A comprehensive re-draft of the multi-year surface transportation law is stalled, although a proposed House highway bill of about $500 billion is ready to go. An increase in the federal gas tax, which hasn’t been raised since 1993, has been suggested by Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

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